Zika: Now What?

Posted & filed under News.

How does the Zika virus affect Canadian fertility patients? For now, it doesn’t have to. Today, Zika is not endemic to North America, so if neither you nor your partner travel outside of Canada, there are no direct concerns. But many of us do travel. If women have been to an endemic area, regardless of… Read more »

How do I find a therapist/psychologist in Toronto who specializes in infertility?

Posted & filed under News, The Journey.

Fertility struggles can put an immense strain on your emotional well-being and your relationships. But many of us don’t realize how badly we needed some extra support…until we’ve finally received it. I recommend checking out our coping tools, but it’s also a good idea to see a therapist who specializes in infertility or fertility issues. This is… Read more »

When is the optimal age (medically and financially) to freeze my eggs?

Posted & filed under Aging, Eggs, News.

Many women are curious about freezing their eggs — preserving their fertility because they aren’t ready or able to start a family, but want to keep the option open for the future. This Chatelaine article delves into new research with regards to timing your egg freezing. The analysis found that women who pursue egg freezing in their early or… Read more »

Alberta health document supports publicly funded IVF

Posted & filed under AHCIP, IVF, News, OHIP.

I’m a strong proponent of funded healthcare for infertility. Under Dr. Ellen Greenblatt’s direction, and with the support of the provincial government of Ontario, we will soon have access to public coverage of IVF in Ontario, allowing us to direct patients to this low-risk, highly effective treatment for all our patients. There are many arguments… Read more »

I’m trying to conceive or already pregnant. Should I get the H1N1 flu vaccine?

Posted & filed under News, The Journey.

Yes, you should — in fact, receiving the vaccine is even more important for you. It’s our recommendation, and the Canadian National Advisory on Immunization, Motherisk, Mount Sinai hospital, World Health Organization, and Public Health Agency of Canada all support this as well: the H1N1 flu vaccine (and similar vaccines) have not been shown to cause… Read more »

Receive email alerts about OHIP-covered IVF in Ontario

Posted & filed under IVF, News, OHIP.

Because we’re a national blog, we don’t want to overwhelm patients outside Ontario with frequent updates about OHIP. So we’re going to slow down on the Ontario IVF news, but we encourage Ontarians seeking IVF to contact their clinic for updates. You can also receive updates by signing up for IVF email alerts at the Hannam Fertility Centre — members… Read more »

Important announcement: OHIP-covered IVF cycle to launch December 2015

Posted & filed under Aging, IVF, News, OHIP.

The Ontario government has finally announced its plans for OHIP-funded IVF. In summary, starting in December 2015, the government will fund one cycle of IVF for women under 43 years of age. The government also reversed its recent move to cut funding for certain OHIP-covered fertility monitoring services (such as blood tests), which is a big… Read more »

Panel advises excluding women over 42, severely obese women, from OHIP-covered IVF

Posted & filed under Aging, IVF, News, OHIP.

OHIP-covered IVF was expected to roll out in Ontario months ago. To meet the province’s expectation of launching in 2015, things are going to have to develop quickly. And we’re already seeing that happen, with news about a panel’s advisory re: OHIP-covered IVF recently surfacing. (If you aren’t caught up, I recommend reading my post on… Read more »

It’s September 2015, what’s the status of OHIP-covered IVF in Ontario?

Posted & filed under IVF, News, OHIP.

17 months ago, the Ontario provincial government promised to extend OHIP coverage to cover one round of IVF for eligible patients. This change was expected to occur in 2015. However, many questions about the coverage were unanswered — and unfortunately, still haven’t been answered. Now that we’re creeping closer to the end of 2015, patients… Read more »

Why is clomiphene not available until later in 2015?

Posted & filed under News.

Clomiphene, also known as Clomid or Serophene, is a popular first-line medication in fertility clinics. It is not popular because it is especially efficacious. It isn’t, really. And for many patients there are real risks for multiple pregnancy and ‘anti estrogenic’ side effects such as hot flashes and depression. But clomiphene is inexpensive and easy… Read more »